The first comprehensive evaluation of the catastrophic flood of 1993 in the United States, this book examines the way in which floods are forecast and monitored, the effectiveness of existing recovery processes, and how the nation manages its floodplains. Through detailed case studies, this timely volume diagnoses the social and economic impacts of the disaster, assessing how resource managers, flood forecasters, public institutions, the private sector, and millions of volunteers responded to it. The book concludes with recommendations for the future, in hopes of better preparing the country for the next flood or other comparable disaster.